Love it or leave it

September 21, 2006 6:14 PM

What's the best way to get a job abroad? Specifically in the broad field of computers?

I'm a recent college graduate with about 2 years of work experience, a bachelors in CS. I really want to work overseas, preferably in a spanish speaking country, but really anywhere would be awesome. I speak basic spanish, definitely not fluent, but I got around south and central america for about 3 months.

How do I go about getting a job overseas? Dice.com kinda sucks for outside the US, monsters a little better. Anybody whose currently working overseas, specifically in IT/programming/computers/etc... how did you end up finding your job?

posted by youthenrage to work & money (6 comments total)

If you're recently out of college, maybe SWAP would work? I can't tell where you are, but I think that similar programs exist elsewhere.
posted by sueinnyc at 6:59 PM on September 21, 2006

Geek Corps sounds right down your alley, if "job" is a loose term for you.

Do you have five (5) or more years experience in technology, or the business of technology? Would you be willing to work with people and innovate with minimal technical equipment in a developing country? Able to commit to four months, working on multiple projects and teaching small groups in a hands-on setting?
posted by nitsuj at 10:12 PM on September 21, 2006

There's lots of UK-based IT jobs on www.jobserve.co.uk. When I arrived in London from Australia I got my IT job through the site. There's also a Monster.co.uk.
posted by Onanist at 12:40 AM on September 22, 2006

I'm not sure where you're located. I'm presuming the States. If you're under 30 (which, with only 2 years experience, I'm guessing is the case unless you've switched careers late) you can check out these work abroad programs to get yourself INTO a foreign country, which makes it a bit easier to find work (no need to get them to sponsor you, which can be a big stumbling block without tons of experience). I'd say just troll the foreign Monster sites, or Google "IT recruiting " to find some recruiters. Headhunters are the best way to find IT jobs, IMO, and most companies use them.
posted by antifuse at 2:22 AM on September 22, 2006

I got my first job in computers while backpacking through Europe. I arrived in Vienna almost 6 years ago, to this day. I planned to stay one night and move on, but the weather was perfect, and I got stuck. Within a week, I was looking for a job. Within 3 weeks, I'd had 10 interviews and 5 job offers.

I took what I thought was the best offer, and stayed at that company for 3 and a half years. I'm now working for my second Austrian employer, and don't have any plans to return to the States.

The key is to be on the ground where you want to be hired. If you're not there and available for an interview the next day, most hiring managers are going to trash your resume.
posted by syzygy at 9:46 AM on September 22, 2006

"I got my first job in computers" = "I got my first computer-related job in Europe"

I had previous IT work experience in the States, before I arrived in Europe.
posted by syzygy at 9:47 AM on September 22, 2006